Data storage media are used to store and retrieve large amounts of digitally encoded data in a fast and efficient manner. Such media have been commercially provided in a number of different forms, such as magnetic, optical and solid-state (e.g., flash memory, etc.).
So-called patterned media can be generated by writing a two dimensional (2D) array of discrete features to a substrate, such as a recordable disc or semiconductor device. The writing process can utilize a write beam, such as a particle beam from an electron beam recorder (EBR), to impinge localized areas on the substrate to form a desired pattern of features. The substrate can be subjected to subsequent processing, such as a lithography operation, to produce a number of replicated media with the written pattern.
These and other types of writing processes can provide what is sometimes referred to as a proximity effect, which generally describes a phenomenon whereby adjacent areas surrounding the focal point of a beam are undesirably affected by the beam. For example, an EBR beam can provide some measure of back scattered electrons in an influence area surrounding the beam. These back scattered electrons can alter previously written features, such as by blurring or fogging of the transition boundaries of the features. Other types of write beams can also have corresponding influence areas, such as laser beams, magnetic recording beams, etc.